Rude Store Owners

Dear Editor,

I've been working at a major health care facility in Arverne for 14 years.

On Monday, 8/31/09, I visited a newly opened bogeda/grocery on Rockaway Beach Boulevard between Beach 53 and 54 Street. After purchasing a few items, and stepping outside, I was greeting by two teenage friends of a long term patient of mine who began speaking with me in front of the store. One, who had dog (I believe a Labrador retriever) attempted to enter the store with his dog to purchase some items and was shouted at by the store proprietor "get out, get out!" The proprietor could have simply explained to him that dogs, other than guide dogs, are prohibited by the Department of Health from grocery stores, and my patient's friend would have understood. However, he willingly left the store, and he and my patient's other friend began a conversation with me on the sidewalk when the proprietor came out threatneing to call the police if we didn't leave!

I've never encountered such rudeness from a business for no apparent reason in my 14 years of having worked in Rockaway!